As widely expected by economists, the Commerce Department on Thursday said U.S. economic output grew in the final three months of 2012, rather than contracting as the department initially estimated last month. But the change was disappointingly small: The government now says gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 0.1% in the fourth quarter. Economists had been expecting a growth rate of 0.5%.

The updated numbers reflect some tweaks in the details—exports were better than initially believed, consumer spending slightly worse—but change little about the big picture. Economic growth accelerated in 2012, growing 2.2% for the full year versus 1.8% in 2011, but slowed at the end of the year. The recovery is continuing, but remains weak.

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